Coin control mechanism



June 23, 1942.

K. c. BUGG 001m CONTROL MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 17, 1938 June 23, 1942. K. c. BUGG COIN CONTROL MECHANISM I Filed March 17,1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 23, 1942 I STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 com CONTROL MECHANISM" Kenly c. Bugg, Farmington, Mo.; assignmto The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, North l'ona- Wanda, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Application Maih 1:, 1938; Serial ne saiss Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coin-controlled mechanism and particularly to a mechanism designed for use with automatic phonog raphs,'vending machines and the like; i A

It has for one of its objects to provide an eflicient coin control mechanism which is so designed and constructed as to efiectually separate the good or acceptable coins from the spurious or unacceptable coins in such a way that the unacceptable coins are returned to the user while the acceptable coins pass through the mechanism and thence into the phonograph or other machine to which the mechanism is applied for automatically operating the same to receive the proper value for the coins deposited.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a coin-separating mechanism which is so designed as to effect the separation in accordance with the weight of the coin and its materialcontent, the coins rolling by gravity from one testing stage to another and during such movement being inclined to the vertical, whereby the i force of gravity also functions in the separation of acceptable from non-acceptable coins.

A further object is to provide a coin-controlled mechanism having simple and effective means for releasing or freeing coins which have been temporarily trapped or arrested in their movement through the mechanism either purposely or accidentally.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly ,pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front perspective view of a multicoin-controlled apparatus embodying my invention. Figure. 2 is a rear perspective view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially in the plane of line 3 3, Figure 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken in the plane; of line 4-4, Figure 1. Figures 5 and 6 are like sections taken substantially in the planes of the correspondingly-numbered lines in Fig-.- ure 1.

Similar characters ofreferenc indicate cor:-.v

ration of acceptable from non-acceptable coins is concerned, adescription of one of such units will suilice for all.. Briefly, each of these coincontrolled units comprisesv a vertically-tilted or inclined support or panel provided with a plu- 5 rality of coin chutes for the'travel of the coins;

a magnetic means for trapping or arresting spurious slugs, such as iron or steel washers and the like;v a weight-testing device which is designed to so function as to release a proper weight coin into the proper coin chute and to function to direct or deflect a light-weight coin or slug to another chute; a means for creating a magnetic field along the path of one of the coin chutes for retarding the speed of travel of a coin depending upon its material-content and accordingly eflecting the separation of acceptable and non-acceptable coins, the acceptable coins being discharged vices are applied, this support'being disposed in a slightly inclined position to the vertical and being suitably attached to a frame II or like means borne by the cabinet of the ven ing machine,

phonograph or like apparatus. At its upper end this inclined panel'is provided with a, coin inlet ('2 into which the coin drops after being depositedin the customary coin slot borne by the apparatus, this inlet being formed in any. appropriate fashion and secured to the upper front face of the panel'asshownin Figures 1 and 5,

and having a pendant portion or apron "spaced from such face of the panel to form a guide or retaining wall for the coin after it leaves the inlet. Pivoted independently at ll to the upper front face of the panel to rock toward and from the same, are displaceable baiile elements l5 and I 8 which are provided at theirlower ends with I inwardly-bent flanges or ledge portions l1 and I8, respectively, which normally abut at their inner edges against the face of thepanel III inthe manner shown in Figure 4. In this position over which coins are adapted to roll in a righthand direction generally transversely or cross-' wise of the plate, viewing Figure l. The ledge ll ofthe baflie element I5 is positioned beneath the coin inlet I! so that when a coin is deposited therein it will drop by gravity onto that ledge unless arrested by other or ancillary means durthe drawings, It indicates wardly-facing, adjustable weight I! at its lower- .end whichnormally tends to rock or swing such element, independently of the companion element ll, toward the face of the panel with its ledge abutting the same. Thisledge portion l3 constitutes a lateral continuation of the ledge portion II of the companion element II and when a proper weight coin or acceptable coin encounters the testing element ll, such coin causes this element to swing outwardly from the panel to enable the coin to be freed or released and to drop by gravity into a communicating substantially upright chute 23 provided in the front face of the panel for receiving it.

Formed in the upper end of the inclined pan l adjacent the weight-testing baiiling element l6 and adjoining the upper end of the chute 23, is an opening 2| which may have a chamfered lower edge, as seen in Figure 6, and which communicates with the upper end of a transverselyinclined chute 22.formed on the rear-side, of the panel It. Should a light-weight coin, or slug of less weight than a genuine coin, such as an aluminum-made slug or one made of Bakelite, be inserted in the coin inlet 12, then such coin or slug willtravel downwardly and then in a transversely-inclined path over the ledges l1 and I8 of the bane elements I! and I3, and due to its light weight, such coin or slug will not displace the testing element It but the latter will remain in its normal position and cause the coin or, slug to drop backwardly through the opening 2i into the reversely-incllned chute 22. This last-named chute opens into anopening 23 formed in the panel and after passing through such opening the light-weight coin travels downwardly through a vertical chute 24 formed in "the front side of the inclined panel l0.

ledge 2s and drops into the discharge chute 2; at the rear side of the panel III. A coin not so retarded travels under its own momentum into far edge of the lateral discharge opening 21 and associated therewith is an adjustable point or tapered element 3| which is applied to the end of an adjusting screw 32 supported in a suitable bracket 33 fixed at the lower rear side of the panel as seenin Figures} and 3.

Associated with the coin inlet l2, for preventing the passage of steel slugs, washers and the like beyond such inlet, is a magnet 34 which is preferably attached to the lower end of a swinging bracket 35 pivoted at 33 to the upper rear side of the panel 10, in opposing relation to the baflle element IS, in the manner shown in Figures 2 and 5. In its normal position the magnet bridges an opening 31 formed in the panel I in the plane of the inlet l2, so that should a steel slug be inserted in such inlet the magnet will attract and arrest .it in the manner shown in Figure 5 with the lower edge of the coin resting The upright chute 20 communicates at its lowface of the panel l0, and associated with this chute is a magnet 26 which creates a magnetic field across the chute, and as the coins roll through the chute past the lines of force created by this magnet, eddy currents are set up in the coins, should the coins be of the proper materialcontent to be acted upon by the magnetic field. When' the coin, such as a genuine twenty-five cent piece, passes through this magnetic field, the eddy currents set up in it slow down or retard the downward travel of the coin. When a nonacceptable coin not so affected by the magnetic field rolls through the chute 25 it is not retarded but continues on through the chute at its normal speed of travel. Beyond the magnet and partially intersecting the chute 24, the panel I0 is provided with an opening 21 which is in the back wall of the chute 25 and which is of a size to permit a coin to discharge laterally therethrough. Communicating with this opening and applied to the rearside of the panel III is a discharge chute 28. The bottom ledge 23 of the inclined chute continues on a short distance beyond the magnet 26 and opposite the opening 21, and a coin passing thereover under normal speed discharges directly into the verticaldischarge chute 24, as shown in Figure 1. A coin which is retarded in its movementgwhen it encounters the magnetic field, tilts by gravity backwardly from the chuteon the ledge H of the name element IS. A spring 38 normally urges this magnet-bearing bracket. '35 intov operative position. Formed in the front face of the panel") beneath the baiileelement I5 is a chute 39 which communicates at its lower end with the upper end of the upright discharge chute 24, so that when the baille element IS-and the magnet 34 are released from holding and sup porting engagement with a trapped slug, such slug then drops by gravity through the chute 39 and thence downwardly through the communicating chute 24 to the reject side of the coin-control mechanism.

For the purpose of actuating the baille elements l5 and I1 and the bracket 35 carrying the magnet 34 to scavenge or release any trapped or otherwise'caught coins adjoining such parts, I providea scavenging mechanism consisting of a rock arm," pivoted at 4| to the panel l0 andcarrying a tappet 42 which bears against the inclined edge 43 of an arm 44 projecting from the baille element l5 and through a slot 45 in the panel. This tappet 42 also engages the inclined top edge of an arm 46 projecting forwardly from the magnet-bearing bracket 35. Projecting laterally from the lower side of the baffle element is is a coupling pin 41 which is adapted to abut against the adjoining lower side of the companion baflle element I6, so that when the element I5 is swung outwardly its coupling pin encounters the adjoining portion of the baille element l3 and compels it to move outwardly theredrop by gravity into the chute 39. Should a coin become trapped or wedged by the baille or weighttesting element l6, then simultaneously'with this scavenging stroke of the arm 40, thiselement will likewise be swung forwardly from the face of the panel Ill and free such coin. Thespring 38 which normally urges the magnet-bearing. element 35 to a normal position also serves to restore; that element and the jointly connected baiile elements l and It to their normal positions when the rock arm 40 is released after the scavenging stroke is effected.

In the multiple coin unitarrangement of the one or the other of said discharge passages, and

means disposed at successive stations along the chutes for governing the separation of the coins into one or another of the chutes and into one invention shown in- Figures 1 and 2, each rock comprising a coin chute through which coins are adapted to roll, said chute being downwardly inclined'and inclined to the vertical and terminating at its lower end in separate passages for the discharge of genuine and spurious coins, respectively, said passages being disposed side by side in different planes parallel to the vertical incline I of the chute and the latter having a lateral opening therein, means adjacent said chute and in advance of said discharge passages for creating a magnetic field, whereby to govern the momentum of travel of the coins according to their permeability and their subsequent discharge through one or the other of said separating passages, and a deflecting member disposed beyond the magnetic field-creating-means and substantially in the plane of said lateral opening for directing the coins into their respective discharge passages.

2. A coin device of the character described, comprising a chute for coins of proper materialcontent and a chute for coins of improper material-content, a common coin-inlet associated with said chutes, displaceable magnetic means adjoining said coin-inlet for arresting the travel of improper coinsinto either of said chutes, a displaceable baflle element disposed in opposing relation to said magnetic means and normally extending across the discharge mouth of the coin inlet, a second displaceable baflie element disposed alongside said first-named baiiie element, a coupling connection between said first and secondnamed baflle elements to eflect their joint displacement in unison, and means operatively connected to said magnetic means and the firstnamed baflie element for shifting them, together with the second-named baflle element, to a displaced position to release an'arrested, improper coin into its companion chute or an intercepted proper coin into its companion chute.

3. A coin device of the character described, comprising a panel-like member inclined to the vertical and having downwardly-inclined coin chutes at opposite sides of said member, the coins traveling in the inclined plane of said chute bearing member and the respective chutes terminating in discharge passages at the opposite sides of the inclined member, the latter having openings therein at predetermined points along the chutes for directing coins of certain characteristics from one of the chutes into another and into or the other of said discharge passages, said means including baiiie elements for effecting the separation of light weight spurious coins, mag,- netic means for trapping certain spurious coins, and other magnetic means for retarding the movement of other spurious coins to eflect their gravity displacement from one chute into the other. I

4.'A coin device of the character described, comprising a supporting member inclined to the vertical and having coin chutes on its top and under faces through which coins are adapted to a travel by gravity in the inclined plane of ,such member, one of said 'chutes terminating at its upper end in a coin-inlet and each of the chutes terminating at its lower, end in discharge opening for an acceptable or non-acceptable coin, said supporting member having transverse openings adjacent its upper and lower ends for the passage of non-acceptable coins from the top-chute into the under-chute, means disposed at opposite sides of the supporting member adjacent said upper transverse opening for testing the characteri'stics of an inserted coin, the lower portion of the top chute being inclined crosswise of the supporting member and intersecting said lower transverse opening, means mounted on said supporting member in the plane of the crosswiseinclined portion of the top chute and in advance "of said lower opening for creating a magnetic field, whereby those coins acted upon by such field from the magnetic field creating means.

5. A coin device of ,the character described, comprising a member inclined to the vertical and having downwardly-inclined coin chutes at its 'top and under faces along which coins are adapted to travel by gravity, the coins traveling in the inclined plane 0! said member and the respective chutes terminating at their lower ends in discharge passages disposed at the opposite sides of said inclined member for separating the genuine from the spurious coins, said member having an opening adjacent one end for directing whereby those coins acted upon by such field are caused to be directed through said second opening into the opposing chute and its companion discharge passage and those coins not so acted upon are caused to travel past such opening and be directed into the other discharge passage.

. KENLY C. BUGG. 

